importance of faith

A book about the personal story of Jewish religious commitment

The title asks the question, and since Harold Kushner is a rabbi, you know his answer before you begin reading. The book is not about WHO needs God, since we all do according to the author. The book is about WHY we need God.

Each chapter delves into one aspect of his reasoning. His writing style is very simple and easy reading. His points are well illustrated by explanations, stories, and a little humor.

Although a rabbi, Kushner writes "Who Needs God" as much for the Christian as for the Jew, using the phrase "churches and synagogues" many times over. If you want to believe in God, but have many doubts; or if you believe in God, but wonder why we need any organized religion, then this book is for you. ( )

NO OF PAGES: 208 SUB CAT I: Philosophy SUB CAT II: Faith SUB CAT III: DESCRIPTION: In more than thirty years as a teacher and spiritual counselor, Harold Kushner has met and talked with thousands of good and caring people who have asked the question, What can religion offer? What difference does religion really make in our lives? Harold Kushner says, "This book is written for those who asked why we need more than the commandment to be nice to each other?and it is for all the intelligent, thoughtful people I have met who had trouble believing that religion could be important to somebody in the twentieth century." In "Who Needs God" Harold Kushner shows us that indeed religious commitment can make a great difference in our lives. With warmth, clarity and force, he writes about his own faith and what it has meant to him at each stage in his life. And he shows us how faith can enrich even the most fulfilling lives as it creates new sources of strength and comfort for all of us. For "Who Needs God" speaks to the hopes and longings of anyone who has ever needed to make sense of life and has wanted to make a difference in the lives of others, who has ever felt guilty or lonely or afraid or empty. It is then, Rabbi Kushner shows us, that the resources of a religious faith will renew, refresh, and replenish us.NOTES: Donated by Tim Hegg SUBTITLE: